304 OYSTERS. 



denominated univalves. The colours of some of the shells 

 are extremely brilliant and beautiful, particularly those 

 which are brought from hot climates. In general these 

 animals have eggs, but some few of them produce their 

 offspring into the world alive. The most familiar tribes 

 are the Cockle, Oyster, and Muscle, which are bivalves ; 

 and the Paper Nautilus, Cowry, and Snail, which are 

 univalves. 



COCKLES are chiefly known to us on account of the eat- 

 able species, which abound on all our sandy shores, and 

 are sold, at a cheap rate, in almost every place where 

 fish are to be procured. They live in the sand, and, at 

 low water, are dug out, in great quantity, with shovels 

 or other implements. After this they are put into osier 

 baskets, and soused in the water, for the purpose of 

 clearing them from the sand which adheres to them. 



OYSTEHS are found in nearly all the seas of the world, 

 and the greater part of the species are considered to be 

 a wholesome and palatable food. Most of them adhere, 

 by their shell, to rocks ; but two or three of the species 

 are found only upon the roots of trees in the sea, or 

 upon the thick stalks of sea-weeds. The Common 

 Oysters, which are so well known in this country, are 

 found amongst rocks, from whence they are taken by 

 a kind of nets, with an iron scraper at the mouth, called 

 dredges. These are dragged over the beds by a rope 

 from a boat ; and when the animals are taken up from 

 the sea, they are stored in pits furnished with sluices, 

 through which, at spring tides, the water is suffered to 

 flow. This water, being stagnant, soon becomes green, 

 and renders the Oysters of greater value for the market. 

 In these places they are generally stored for at least six 



